THE KESTREL 4500 NV METER REVIEW
it still gave very good first round hits on 600 and 800 yard sighting targets although as luck would have it, my four-week test-period coincided with generally light winds although these, at long ranges, can be the most deceptive.
The wind vane, when fastened onto the mini tripod, has a cradle which the Kestrel handset fastens into and due to its perfect balance and rotating bearing assembly, allows the small vane on the end of a rod to steer the impeller directly into the wind.
Setup
The mini-tripod and wind vane come in two small cordura cases, assembly instructions are included but I do like to get stuck straight in and do the `idiot proof` assembly test, which it passed admirably. The tripod comes with a small folding clamp that can be used to mount the handset on its own when manually directed into the wind, this simply screws to the top. It is nice and compact and if nothing else is desired and you are happy to self-aim the unit, all is well. This on its own will drop into any pocket and be of little burden BUT the real treat is the wind vane accessory. A small fin approximately 5 inches tall attaches to a lightweight 2-piece composite rod approximately 12 inches long. The rod slots together and inserts into the bearing mounted cradle. These four components are firmly held together by a simple but effective elastic cord.
A bubble-level aids set-up
Too many shooters seem to have misconceptions about the major effects of distance and wind to a bullet in flight. A tool like this can only help to increase knowledge about these factors, along with some of those that have smaller effects, to the serious long range shooter, factors that deserve serious consideration. Any shooter should remember, especially in the pursuit of live quarry, no amount of technology will hit the target for you and tools like this will teach you when to take your finger off the trigger as well as help learn when to continue.
Accessories
After testing the Kestrel-Horus handheld weather meter and ballistics computer, I really thought a couple of the available accessories would complement this clever unit. A quick email to Richard Paul Russell, the UK agent, had them in my hands a few days later and I was itching to get out and have a go with them.
The two accessories I thought would be of most use were the wind vane and mini tripod. The latter does what you would expect, holds the unit in position on its own but when coupled with the wind vane, they together provide a fantastic enhancement to the Kestrel’s already hefty capabilities.
A visual treat We have all, at times, watched grass and other foliage, along with dust, smoke and countless other things blow around in the wind. Well, in wind speeds of less than 0.5 mph, although the unit would spend long
These neat Cordura cases hold the meter, tripod and wind-vane
periods orientated in one specific wind direction, it was enlightening to watch it twist and turn, often with a displayed wind-speed change on a regular basis. It is an interesting tool to watch and learn from and al- though it is yet another item not everyone would want to carry in the field, I stand by my original opinion that
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